Conductor for mine explosives



R. L. BOWMAN. CONDUCTOR FOR MINE EXPLOSIVES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19,1921,

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

- I k is .555

v (June/Mica v fZLBwI/m all;

PATENT @FFZQE.

ROBERT LEE BOWMAN, 0E KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

. CONDUCTOR FOR MINE EXPLOSIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed. January 19., 1921. Serial No. 438,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ROBERT L.'BowMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented a new and useful Conductor for Mine Explosives, of whichthe followingis a specification.

This invention relates to conductors where by miners are enabled toplace charges of explosives into holes drilled therefor withoutexperiencing accidents, the loss of time and material resulting from theusual methods followed.

Heretofore it has been the practice to tear off a required length ofpaper from a roll and form and fill the same with an explosive, andinsert the filled shell into the hole. Very often the shell buckles onaccount of the roughness or crevices in the strata before it reaches theinnermost portion of the hole; and at other times it will bulge open Iand cause waste'of the explosive, and great danger in recharging thehole on account of the bit striking sulfur and thereby causing a spark.

It is an object of'the present invention to provide a conductor of apredetermined size in which a shell of the usual or any preferredconstruction can be placed and conveyed directly to any portion of thehole without danger of buckling and without danger of being misplaced orof losing any of the explosive.

Another object is to provide a device of this character made up ofseparable sections whereby one part of the conduct'ortcan be openedeasily to receive the charge and subsequently closed so as to hold thecharge during its insertion into the hole.

Another object'is to provide a conductor a portion of which can beutilized as a spoon should it be desired to place an explosive back in ahole without the use of shell.

Another object is to provide a conductor a portion of which istelescopic and which portion can separately be used as a casing orconductor to place an explosive back in a hole.

A still further object is to provide a conductor which may be used asa'mandrel and which is very simple, durable and compact in constructionand which can be easily manipulated.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhatis claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown canbe made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section. I

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a combinedcap and cup;

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates themain section of the conductor, the same being substantiallysemicylindrical and hollow. One end of this section is closed asindicated at 2 and extending across the open face of the section at theclosed end thereof is a flat wall 3having a slot 4 therein adjacent itsfree edge. An opening 5 ,is formed in the Wall 2 at the center of thearc defined by the arcuate wall of the section and another opening 6 isformed in said wall as shown. Additional openings 7 and 8 are formed inthe wall 2 and in the wall 3, these two openings being designed toreceive the offset end 9 of a holding rod or handle 10.

A removable section 11 is mounted on the section 1 and is substantiallysemicylindrical and hollow. This section has one end closed and adaptedto abut against the wall 3 while its other end is open and is designedto lie flush with the open end of the section 1. A. curved tongue 12 isextended fromthe closed end'ofthe section 11- and is insertible into theslot 4 so as to hold the sections 1 and 11 properly assembled at oneend. It is possible, however, by swinging the section 11 away from thesection 1, to disengage the tongue from the slot. A telescopic tube 13is slidable on the sections 1 and 11 and is adapted to move forward orbackward as desired against a rib or shoulder 14 on the outer faces ofthe sections adjacent their free ends so as to hold said sectionstogether as shown in the drawings. By slippingthe tube 13 up toward theclosed end of the section 1, however, the section 11 is released and canbe swung away from section 1 and detached therefrom.

Slidably mounted between the sections 1 and 11 is a plunger or follower15 having a fuse receiving recess 16 in its periphery. This follower hasa stem 17 slidable within the opening 5 and detachably engaged by anextension handle 18. It is to be understood, also, that an extensionhandle 19 may be connected to the rod 10.

In using this device for the purpose of placing a charged shell or agranular explosive in any portion of a hole, the plunger 15 is movedagainst the closed end of the sec tions 11, a fuse is placed in theopening 6 and the recess 16, and a wad may be pressed against theplunger 15. The charged shell or explosive is then placed in theconductor and another Wad may be forced into the open end of saidconductor. The entire device is then inserted into the hole until itreaches the desired portion thereof, the extension handles 18 and 19being employed if necessary. The plunger 15 is then held stationarywhile the operator pulls on the rod 10 so as to cause the conductorsections 1 and 11 to slide off of the charge after which the entiredevice is withdrawn from the hole and the charge tamped in the usualway. Obviously one or more charges can be placed in the same hole bymeans of this device and, instead of placing a shell in the conductorthe explosive can be positioned therein without the shell. Furthermoreby removing the section 11 and the ring 13 the section 1 can be employedas a spoon for placing an explosive back in an opening that has beendrilled.

When the conductor is not in use a graduated cup 20 can be employed toclose the open end thereof, it fitting over said end like a cap. Atother times the cup can be used to measure the explosive placed in theconductor.

It will be noted that the tube 13 is slit longitudinally so as to berendered resilient and one of the slits, indicated at 21 is providedwith notches 22 for receiving .a latch 23 whereby the tube can be drawnlongitudinally along the conductor and placed in engagement with a latchat any desired point.

What is claimed is 1. A device of the class described including hingedlyconnected sections, a follower slidably mounted between the sections,and means extending continuously around the connected sections forholding them against relative movement.

2. A device of the class described including hingedly and detachablyconnected sections, a follower slidably mounted between the sections,and means extending continuously around the sections for holding themagainst relative movement.

3. A device of the class described including hingedly and detachablyconnected sections and a follower slidably mounted between the sections,and handles extending along lines parallel with but spaced from thelongitudinal axis of the space between the sections and connected to thefollower and to one of the sections respectively.

4. A device of the class described including hingedly and detachablyconnected sections, a follower slidably mounted between the sections,and a sleeve movably engaging the sections for holding them againstrelative movement.

5. In a device of the class described the combination with opposedhingedly and detachably connected sections cotiperating to constitute aconductor, and means movably engaging the sections for holding themassembled, of a follower slidable between the sections, a handleslidably mounted in one end of one of the sections and connected to thefollower at a point removed from the center of the follower, and ahandle detachably connected to one end of one of the sections, both ofsaid handles being parallel with and spaced from the longitudinal axisof the device, the follower handle constituting means for holding saidfollower against rotation between the sections.

6. A device of the class'described including a hollow section closed atone end and having a slotted flat wall adjacent said end, another hollowsection closed at one end and disposed oppositely to the first namedsection, a tongue extending'therefrom and engaging the slotted wall andconstituting a detachable hinged connection between the sections, a ringslidable upon the sections, a follower slidable between the sections,and means for holding the follower against movement during the movementof the sections relative thereto.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of a witness.

ROBERT LEE BOWMAN. P

Witness:

IVY E. SIMPSON.

